5:00 - 8:00 PM - High Tea at the Putnam MuseumAlumni and friends of the college are invited to view the exhibit, "Diana: A Celebration", enjoy refreshments and hear a presentation by Wendy Hilton-Morrow.$20 for adults; $15 for childrenPutman Museum, Lardner Balcony, 1717 E. 12th Street, Davenport, IA

Thursday, September 19

10:30 - 11:30 AM - Faculty Senate MeetingHanson Hall of Science 102

11:30 AM - 12:20 PM - The SalonBrew By the Slough, Tredway Library

4:00 - 5:00 PM - Jane Austen Tea PartyIf you have one, bring a favorite Austen novel, or just your favorite Austen scene or quote. There will be tea, scones and lively discussion.Brew by the Slough Patio, Tredway Library

4:45 - 6:45 PM - Safe Zone Training for Faculty/StaffOffered to the first 20 people who would like to provide support to LGBTQ studentsOld Main 310

5:00 - 8:00 PM - High Tea at the Putnam MuseumAlumni and friends of the college are invited to view the exhibit, "Diana: A Celebration", enjoy refreshments and hear a presentation by Wendy Hilton-Morrow.$20 for adults; $15 for childrenPutman Museum, Lardner Balcony, 1717 E. 12th Street, Davenport, IA

Advising

Advising group discussions on the morning of Symposium Day will focus on ADVISING this year! The goals for this 45 minute advising session are listed below:

Provide an opportunity for advisors to do some group advising

Introduce students to college wide student learning outcomes and discuss the many contexts in which students learn

Emphasize how Symposium Day connects to intended student learning outcomes

Resources for the discussion on student learning outcomes will be coming out later this week, but I'd like to highlight a few benefits of group advising, here.

Becky Ryan published an essay in Academic Advising Today in 2010 in which she described the benefits of group advising (click here to read the article in its entirety). If you don't have time to read the article right now, I've digested some of the information for you below.

Our advisees are like the students we teach in our courses (sometimes, our advisees are in our courses). Students in our courses come into class on the first day with a range of attitudes, experiences and expectations for the course. We can say the same of our advisees. They approach their Augustana education differently because of their attitudes, experiences, and expectations. Some are overcommitted in extra-curricular groups while others struggle to make eye contact with another human. Some have known their career trajectory since elementary school while others are in college because it is what you do after graduating from high school. By bringing an advising group together, we can foster an environment where students learn from each other. This group experience can have a "strong normative influence" and "can provide a positive experience that can never be achieved within individual advising sessions" (Ryan). Conversations among advisees can introduce new ideas, broaden perspectives, and provide motivation.

As you plan next week's group advising session, be sure to leave plenty of time for students to talk to each other. You will guide the conversation (just like you do in class), but be sure to leave space for your advisees to learn from each other.